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Controversial clauses that permit detention, arrest or surveillance of suspects at specific places, without informing their families, have been partially revised in response to an outcry to curb possible abuses of public security measures, as the latest amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law is tabled for lawmakers to read. Clauses in the previous draft amendment to the law, which permit police to arrest suspects or hold them at a specific place under surveillance without telling their families, have been removed from the latest version delivered to the National People's Congress for a third review on Thursday. The proposal requires public security to inform the suspect's family within 24 hours after arrest and surveillance, Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, told members of the top legislature. As for detention, the proposal still permits the police not to inform the family "if the case is related to state security or terrorism, and if telling families would impede the investigation", Wang said.The changes are made to ensure the rights of suspects, he said. Thursday's proposal is also significant for "respecting and safeguarding human rights" as an essential principle in the proposed code. This is the first time this has been stated since the code was introduced in 1979. Prior to this, the National People's Congress Standing Committee had already reviewed stipulations in August and December, and had included major refinements such as the prohibition of forced confession under torture. | 
